Review Summary: In Foot In Mouth Disease Gob found the perfect combination of their younger and playful punk mixed with a more mature alternative sound.
Before 2002 I had never heard of Gob or any of their songs. I found out about them by complete accident. For my birthday (February of 2002) I received the video game NHL 2002, after a couple of hours of playing this game I could not get the main menu song out of my head. I did not know the name of the song or the band, so I googled some lyrics, the song ended up being "I Hear You Calling" Which was one of their hits from their previous album "The World According to Gob". After doing a little reading I found out they had another album on the way... I purchased it immediately and was so excited to listen to it right when I got home, what I heard when I finally gave it a spin is something I will never forget.
My first reaction to the album was the artwork, which is disgusting, disturbing, and amazing. Next I looked at the track listing, and was ecstatic to find I Hear You Calling was on this album as well. I sat in my bed and listened to the entire album straight through. It seemed like 5 minutes, it was actually almost an hour. The album just flowed together so flawlessly, it made it incredibly easy to listen to, even though I only knew one song. The first reaction was that the album was amazing and perfect, but first impressions rarely stand the test of time. I listened to the album for hours, then days, then weeks, then months. The CD's in my carrying case changed on almost a daily basis, but Foot In Mouth Disease never left. In that time span my CD's in the case changed drastically, from Bowling For Soup and Blink-182 to Taking Back Sunday and Brand New to Everclear and Eve 6 to Rage Against the Machine and Billy Talent, but somehow Foot In Mouth Disease never left. I listened to it on a regular basis. The older I got the more I tried to figure out what I liked so much about the album. I could not find a reason for why I was so in love with this album. No one will ever claim the Tom Thacker is the greatest guitarist of all time and the lyrics are never more the skin deep. Yet, I couldn't get the music out of my head. The riffs, the drums, the lyrics, it all has a permanent residence in my head, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Although there is nothing spectacular about the album, nothing that will blow you away, when you listen to it you will find that it is a perfect album.
1. Lemon-Aid (4)... the perfect opening to the album, The song ignites the energy that carries across the album.
2. I've Been Up These Steps (4.5)... A high energy song that hits hard and really gets you energized
3. Oh! Ellen (3.5)... One of the singles off the CD, also the worst song on the CD, it lacks substance and originality, but it is incredibly catchy.
4. I Cut Myself, too (4.5)... This song really gets your attention and gets the album back on track to the high energy alternavie/punk feel
5.Fed Up (5)... A slower song, it comes at just the right point and allows you to take a break, which you will need for the rest of the album.
6. Ming Tran (4.5)... A song that you will always wonder why it is in your head, but it is always there
7. When Life Gets Boring (4.5)... Lyrically kind of creepy, but the music is so full of energy it comes off as fun, just like the album's artwork.
8. Give Up the Grudge (5)... The heart and soul of this album, it is full of energy and is smartly written both musically and lyrically.
9. Bones (3.5)... The song is a bit repetitive, but it comes right after the best song on the album, so it is a perfect spot for it.
10. This Evil World (4.5)... A darker song, it provides great foreshadowing for their next album Muertos Vivos
11. I Hear You Calling (5)... The Reason I got the album. It is a great song and is a great choice to put at the back end of the album.
12. Bully (4.0)... The heaviest song on the album, it is a great song to follow I Hear You Calling. A much different sound then most the album, but still fits nicely in this spot.
13. Cold Feet (4.0)... A very nice song, cools you off after Bully, but keeps the energy high
14. Everybody's Getting Hooked Up (5)... An unbelievable finish to an unbelievable album. It is a song you will have stuck in your head forever, despite its crudeness.
